1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an athletic training apparatus, and more specifically relates to an apparatus for practicing correct strokes with a tennis racquet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some of the devices developed over the years for improving a tennis stroke are attached directly to the player. An exemplary garment is worn by a player having a shaft slightly wider than the shoulder width which includes indicators at each end to give the player a visual cue for proper shoulder rotation (U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,809).
Other apparatus developed for improving the stroke of players involve making modifications or attachments to the tennis racquet which is used to play the game. For example, there is disclosed a pouch which can be attached to a stringless tennis racquet used for catching a ball (U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,611), and a signaling device which is attached to a tennis racquet which includes a plurality of mechanical reed members, the longitudinal axes of which are disposed with respect to the tennis racquet as to be aligned with the stroke direction when a proper stroke is performed (U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,504). A distinct disadvantage of the aforementioned devices is that the user is unable to practice a stroke technique with the exact instrument used to play the game.
Still other devices for improving the stroke technique of players are those devices which are separate from the player as well as the instrument used to play the game. One of the earliest devices in the game of tennis is the backboard where an athlete hits a tennis ball toward a large, vertical wall, and the ball rebounds back to the player. Preferably, the wall will have a single, horizontal painted line to simulate the top of the net found in a tennis court. While the use of such a wall may be helpful for obtaining exercise and improving aim, basic tennis strokes cannot efficiently be practiced on such a device. Most players must direct their attention on running toward the ball and returning the same to the wall, and therefore have little time to concentrate on the actual stroke. The quick response necessary for practice against the wall increases the likelihood that the player will repeat bad habits which could irrevocably become engrained in the player""s style. Additionally, such walls are typically located outdoors and consequently practice is impossible when inclement weather exists. Additionally, such walls are expensive to build and are subject to expensive maintenance particularly where the surface is wooded thereby requiring frequent repainting.
Other devices exist where a tennis ball or the like is attached to the upper end of a flexible arm, and the player swings a racquet or the like to impact the ball thereby causing the flexible arm to rotate away from the player. Typically such devices have a spring or other mechanism such that the arm can rotate back towards the player so that the ball can be repeatedly hit. Although such devices can simulate the resistance of a ball during actual play, such devices typically offer the player little guidance on how to maintain a proper stoke technique.
A still further type of tennis stroke training apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,204. The apparatus comprises a base having an upstanding member which receives a Z-shaped tube. The tube has a ball positioned on it whereby a user can place a stringless tennis racquet at the free end of the tube and practice his or her stroke by swinging the racquet throughout the length of the Z-shaped tube. Although the apparatus is useful in the sense that it offers more guidance on proper stroke technique than the typical hit-the-ball apparatus, it has the disadvantage that the user must use a stringless racquet.
Thus despite the variety of tennis stroke training devices developed over the years, there still exists a need for a device which is inexpensive to make, easy to assemble and which does not require the need for any specialized equipment to use.
In accordance with the invention, a tennis stroke training apparatus is provided having a frame which is attached to a base at the frame""s lower end and to one or more guide rails at the frame""s higher opposite end. Attached to the rails are one or more antennas which are resilient and flexible in nature. The rails preferably have a length which can be adjusted up or down which will correspondingly shift the position of the attached antennas.
The apparatus is used by starting a tennis stroke at or near the rear length of the rails and progressively moving one""s racquet progressively forward so as to impact the free ends of the antennas in the follow-through of the stroke. Because the rails and attached antennas can be adjusted in position, various stroke techniques can be practiced.
The training apparatus optionally includes one or more sensors attached to one or more of the antennas. These sensors are activated when the antennas are impacted, giving the player an audible or visual cue that the stroke is being properly performed. In addition, the apparatus optionally includes a ball which is tethered to one of the antennas, preferably at a point of impact so that the player can also practice striking the ball.
In one separate embodiment, the training apparatus includes an overhead support having a mast and an arm. The free end of the arm is used to support a ball in the hanging position. The apparatus also optionally includes a spin-measuring device to measure the spin velocity of the ball when struck as well as a radar gun which can measure the racquet speed of the player.